- Company
- Investments
Dräger Becomes Strategic Investor in GWA Hygiene
Tobias Gebhardt
Chief Executive Officer
Here is the full English translation of the press release you provided:
Dräger Becomes New Investor in GWA Hygiene
January 27, 2022
Tobias Gebhardt (GWA Hygiene), Jens Altmann (Dräger), and Matthias Guth (MIG Capital)
Lübeck and Stralsund, January 31, 2022 – The internationally leading manufacturer of medical and safety technology, Dräger, based in Lübeck, and the digital health startup GWA Hygiene from Stralsund, which has developed a technology-based system for monitoring hand hygiene in hospitals, have announced a new partnership: Dräger will support GWA Hygiene through a strategic investment. Prior to this investment, GWA Hygiene had already attracted high-profile backers, including MIG Fonds, one of Germany’s leading venture capital firms, which has invested several million euros in the startup since 2018.
Addressing a Critical Need in Healthcare
GWA Hygiene is tackling a pressing issue: Inefficient processes and staff shortages in the healthcare sector are increasingly posing risks to hygiene and, therefore, to patient safety. The company offers hospitals and medical facilities a simple and technologically advanced solution to significantly reduce the spread of hospital-acquired infections. The digital hospital hygiene assistant NosoEx®, developed by GWA Hygiene, uses a sensor-based system to provide detailed insights into actual hand disinfection behavior within hospitals.
CEO Tobias Gebhardt on the Vision Behind the Partnership
“We often hear from hospital staff that there's no time for hygiene measures,” explains Tobias Gebhardt, CEO of GWA Hygiene.
“That’s why the goal must be to relieve the burden on clinical staff so they can dedicate more time to patient care — while still maintaining proper hygiene. We quickly realized that Dräger shares this ambition. Now, with NosoEx® and other digital solutions, we want to jointly contribute to easing workloads and improving patient safety.”
Dräger’s Commitment to Hygiene and Innovation
As a leading provider of medical technology, Dräger has long been committed to hygiene. For the company, patient care and infection prevention are inseparably linked.
Jens Altmann, Head of the “Data Business” unit at Dräger, states:
“For several years, Dräger has been developing and marketing digital solutions such as the Integrated Care Manager (ICM) for digital nursing and treatment documentation, and real-time location systems.
Through our investment in GWA Hygiene, we will expand our real-time location system Dräger Discover in collaboration with GWA, to further support hygiene routines. This strengthens our joint offering to improve workflows in acute care environments.”
Pilot Projects and European Expansion
The synergies between Dräger and GWA Hygiene are already being put into practice. For instance, a pilot project was launched last year in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where the digital solution is being used to identify potential infection transmission risks — especially in acute care settings.
The new capital from Dräger will support both further product development of digital solutions and the expansion of sales and internationalization. Pilot projects with NosoEx® are already underway with partners in several European countries, and this European rollout will now be intensified.
Matthias Guth, Venture Partner at MIG Capital, comments:
“Digitalization has become indispensable in achieving efficient and reliable hygiene management in hospitals. The NosoEx® solution developed by GWA has the potential to set a new standard.
We are very pleased to welcome Dräger as a new investor and strategic partner. This collaboration will benefit both companies, hospitals as customers, and — most importantly — the patients.”
About Dräger – Technology for Life®
Dräger is an internationally leading company in the fields of medical and safety technology. Our products protect, support, and save lives. Founded in 1889, Dräger generated global revenues of around €3.4 billion in 2020. Headquartered in Lübeck, Germany, the company is active in over 190 countries and employs more than 15,000 people worldwide.
🔗 Learn more: www.draeger.com
About GWA Hygiene
Founded in 2015, GWA Hygiene employs over 30 people. Its IoT system “NosoEx®” is designed as a tool for infection prevention. The sensor technology can be seamlessly integrated into the existing infrastructure of hospitals and care homes. NosoEx® functions as a digital assistant for hospital hygiene.
🔗 Learn more: https://nosoex.com
Press Contacts
Tobias Gebhardt
Managing Director, GWA Hygiene
📞 +49 3831 20 355 47
📧 info[at]gwa-hygiene.de
Melanie Kamann
Corporate Communications, Dräger
📞 +49 451 882-3202
📧 melanie.kamann[at]draeger.com